I think it’s probably day TWENTY-SOMETHING.

KRISTINE COFSKY is BROOKLYN

Had a great day yesterday doing some talking head stuff extras (probably end credits or DVD extras, maybe in the film somehow).

The day before that was the BOAT (thanks Matt for the boat!).

Before that…something else…I can’t remember, but I think maybe we were at Kristine’s apartment?

It’s been a long crazy ride, and we’re still not finished. We’ll have to shoot another week or more when we’re back from TIFF.

It’s going to take a prolonged editing trip to get this thing ready for viewing. This will be the most difficult editing project I’ve ever undertaken (strictly from a footage point of view). SO MUCH to log and watch, two cameras, film-within-the-film, etc…

Looking forward to TIFF and Tiger time. It will be nice to take a break from production for a while. I’m really missing writing, and can’t wait to get back to the new script.

Editing and Writing will be everything until after Christmas.

NATURE’S TRIPOD

BIG day today. Thanks to everybody who came out and played. It was a lot of fun. Rob Carpenter went above and beyond, but that’s pretty standard for RC. Thanks Rob!

Tomorrow is another monumental day. I should be opening the “scriptment” to see what’s coming, but I’m loading and logging footage.

The stuff from yesterday is funny. Holy shit. Dan Richardson is back in Andrew Norman form with a vengeance.

Everybody is committed to this thing in a big way, and it shows.

We’re on DAY EIGHTEEN. If we had any money, this would probably be the last day of shooting, but, because we’re paying for everything on credit cards and credit lines with no real outside assistance, it’s DAY EIGHTEEN of TWENTY-NINE!

I’ve never been this broke, in the world, in the history of my life, but I had this idea and it needed to be shot immediately. It was the right call. This becomes more and more apparent with easy passing day.

Thanks to Glen Schaefer for the great article in Sunday’s Province!

Tomorrow it’s Andrew, Sven, and Casey, and then…the party.

Making a film this way is similar to the process of writing fiction or songs. There’s also a certain element of theatre at play, but the big difference is, rather than “one night only,” we’re capturing that energy for playback (over and over) at 24 frames per second. I’m approaching this film, as I did WHEN LIFE WAS GOOD, in a naturalistic documentary style. It doesn’t seem to matter whether it’s comedy or drama, I imagine I will always be interested in this style of filmmaking.

I still love long elegant cinemascopic takes and wides, and I’m sure the next film will be different, but, for now, making a film this way, with these great people, is the best medicine.

My friend Rob (Leickner) and I were convinced that a somewhat (or largely) improvised filmmaking method might be freeing and possible (WELL before I made WHEN LIFE WAS GOOD in 2007). I find that working from a very detailed scriptment filled with a lot of dialogue and situational stuff (as well as the plot elements) offers much more freedom than a more skeletal outline (ala WHEN LIFE WAS GOOD). With this new film, I’m able to go farther “off the grid,” because the grid is so much stronger.

Looking forward to tomorrow!

KRISTINE COFSKY is BROOKLYN

DAY SIXTEEN

I think it’s day sixteen.

Dan’s first day was fantastic. REALLY busy. Everybody did great. I finally got to show the cast a bit of what we’ve been doing (the small amounts I’ve been able to edit and the big opening sequence of the film within the film).

This is really what it’s about, I think, this style of filmmaking. Not knowing everything that’s going to happen. Not having the people or the time to do what those other films do. I love walking into a room with a scriptment, no shotlist, and the actors, and then…it’s just…go!

It’s a scramble everyday to try and remember everything, the art dept stuff, the gear, the schedule, etc…but it’s rewarding when the cast and Gaelle and I laugh.

It’s a mad rush to get it all in before we leave to promote A NIGHT FOR DYING TIGERS at TIFF, but if the first sixteen days are any indication, this is going to be a pretty fun movie.

TASHA and CASEY (PRISCILLA FAIA and CASEY MANDERSON)

DAY TEN

More film-within-the-film action. Michael Hamper is over from the island and Kristine has procured a great location.

The first scene from yesterday is some of the best looking stuff I’ve ever shot/cut. It’s from the film-within-the-film. I can’t wait. Kristine and Paul were fantastic and Sidney was a tremendous help!

I had a lot of Tigers stuff to do today, so I couldn’t edit.

Dan is coming in from England in two days!

Time to head out for the shoot.

Me, ARNICA SKULSTAD-BROWN (Samantha) and CASEY MANDERSON (Casey) in LIFE IS STILL GOOD

CASEY MANDERSON (Casey) is going to clap for sync. I have a slate, but who gives a shit!

Day six is a day off.

Yeah, right.

Working on Tigers and Life is Still Good all day.

The opening (Brooklyn) sequence of Life is Still Good is roughly in there.

It will change fifty times by next Sept, but it’s fun and energetic (I think).

The big V begins tomorrow. Wow.

Let’s do this.

Is this day four?

As I’m typing this I can’t remember if I did this already.

I suspect not, but I can’t be sure.

Shot our “Nice Restaurant” scene today. It was the first scene with Tristan, and he did a fantastic job. Gaelle brought two lovely French girls, Michelle Kim and Gillian Cofsky showed up, and it looks like a restaurant where people eat. This shit is real!

We had some colour temperature issues (all will be fine) and some shadow issues with the halogen lights, but, overall, it’s going to look pretty great, I think.

The amount of footage coming in with two cameras (and no timecode) is…good, but problematic if you feel like editing as you shoot (which I love to do).

I need to make some playback stuff for tomorrow and take a look at the scenes.

Priscilla’s first day!